Masked bannerfish
Heniochus monoceros
Valid name (FishBase; confirmed in Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes and WoRMS, October 2026).
- English
- Masked bannerfish
- Scientific
- Heniochus monoceros
- Dhivehi
- މާސްކު ބިބީMaasku bibee
- Group
- Reef fish
- Maximum size
- Up to about 24 cm (total length)
- Depth and habitat
- Coral reefs and reef-associated habitats, recorded from 2 to 30 m
- IUCN status
- LC · Least ConcernLeast Concern (LC), assessed 2009
Description
A bannerfish with a black mask over the face, a short horn-like bump above the eyes, a broad dark band across the body and yellow rear fins, with a white pennant-like dorsal fin. Adults live in pairs on coral-rich lagoon and outer reefs and feed on bottom-living invertebrates.
In the Maldives
Dhivehi Wikipedia (MRS-derived) gives maasku bibee.
Sources
- fishbase.se /summary/Heniochus-monoceros.html
- fishbase.se /comnames/CommonNamesList.php?ID=5590&GenusName=Heniochus&SpeciesName=
- dv.wikipedia.org /wiki/މާސްކު_ބިބީ
- commons.wikimedia.org /wiki/File:Chaetodontidae_-_Heniochus_monoceros.jpg
Dhivehi name source: FishBase (country: Maldives) gives only the general group name 'Thun bibi'. Thaana from the Dhivehi Wikipedia article 'މާސްކު ބިބީ' (derived from the MRS 1997 Dhivehi edition). No published Latin-script form found; 'Maasku bibee' is Pax's transliteration of the Thaana (Malé Latin conventions). FishBase also lists 'Didanegi' under India (Minicoy/Lakshadweep Mahl dialect); not used. FLAG: Latin form is a transliteration, not a published spelling.